News Bits: Windows Vista Released, Intel Centrino to have 802.11n, More Notebooks in U.S. Homes
Windows Vista released for sale
Microsoft has started to market its new Vista operating system. It is being sold to business customers only right now; consumer availability will come at the end of January. Microsoft predicts that Vista will be the fastest-selling operating system to date. Windows Vista is two years late, and will miss the Christmas season. It, along with Office 2007, took five years to develop, along with $20 billion, and 10,000 workers.
Analyst says 90 million Vista shipments in 2007
The IDC today released new projections for Windows Vista - over 90 million units will be shipped worldwide in 2007. Vista Home Basic is expected to account for 67% of consumer Vista purchases, while 30% will be Vista Home Premium. Vista Ultimate will secure 2%, and Vista Business only 1%. For the business market however, Vista Business will make up 82% of Vista purchases, and Vista Enterprise the remaining 18%.
During the first year of deployment, Vista will account for 90% of new Windows client installations for home users, which includes Vista Home Basic and Vista Home Premium. In the business world, only 35% of new client installations will be comprised of Vista Business/Enterprise. That number should climb to 80% during the second year. The reason business adoption is slower is because businesses are a bit more careful when it comes to upgrades, and usually wait for the first service pack before they do large-scale adoptions.
Intel to put pre-standard 802.11n into Centrino by next year
Director and general manager at Intel's Communication Technology, Alan Croch, told the audience at the IEEE Globecom 2006 Expo in San Francisco on Tuesday to expect Intel to integrate a pre-standard version of 802.11n Wi-Fi into its Centrino platform by next year.
The IEEE 802.11n standard will most likely not be ratified until the first half of 2008. 802.11n brings greater range and better performance over the current wireless technology - it will reach up to 600Mbps, and have a 50 percent greater range.
Industry analysts have warned against adopting the 802.11n standard until it is ratified.
Lenovo ThinkVantage Technologies integrated with Windows Vista
Lenovo today announced the integration of its ThinkVantage Technologies (TVTs) with Windows Vista to enhance the experience of business users, and offer a high level of system recovery, connectivity, and security.
With its TVTs optimized for Vista Enterprise, Lenovo is embracing and extending the capabilities of the new operating system, addressing system recovery, connectivity, and security. TVTs will help IT administrators and end-users increase their productivity and reach a lower cost of PC ownership.
Mobile computers on the rise in US homes
According to the MetaFacts 2006 Home PC Brand Profile Report, an increasing number of US homes are embracing notebook computers. In over 52 million homes, notebooks are primary computers, or 30.2% of US primary home computers overall. Brands motivate their customers to buy notebooks differently however. In Apple households, 52% of personal computers are notebooks. 46.1% of Dell PCs at home are notebooks, and in HP/Compaq households, only 16.1%, or one in six, are notebooks.
49.3% of computers in US households are modern, or purchased since 2004. Two-thirds of Apple computers and one-half of HP/Compaq and Dell notebooks are less than two and a half years old.
Other findings in the Home PC Brand Profile Report include the age and gender of home PC users. Almost half (46%) of Apple's user base is 55 and over, which is over double that of average PC users (25.2%). Gateway has the lead among 18-24 year olds; a higher-than-average share of PC users fall into this age group.
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Re: News Bits: Windows Vista Released, Intel Centrino to have 802.11n, More Notebooks in U.S. Homes
Almost half (46%) of Apple's user base is 55 and over, which is over double that of average PC users (25.2%). Gateway has the lead among 18-24 year olds; a higher-than-average share of PC users fall into this age group. I find this so very hard to believe, those stats are very whacky sounding IMHO. Since when has Gateway been "cool" among the college crowd? The brand is a pretty dead one, although I'm not on a college campus so I guess I wouldn't know either way.
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Re: News Bits: Windows Vista Released, Intel Centrino to have 802.11n, More Notebooks in U.S. Homes
I'm surprised at the high statistics they gave for Home Premium. Considering that a lot of the developing countries would go for Home Basic, and that many of the "not-so-familiar-to-the-computer" people would go for Home Basic as well, I'm surprised that they expect Home Premium to reach 30%.
Oh well, that 30% will be us technology geeks and the truly multimedia people :D
Edit: That's just scary. I think those numbers about Apple and Gateway are wrong. Okay, maybe 55 year olds do use Apple, but teenagers and young adults using Gateway? They have ugly notebooks, no offence.
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Re: News Bits: Windows Vista Released, Intel Centrino to have 802.11n, More Notebooks in U.S. Homes
Lets get the sparkling grape juice out and celebrate! A toast to Vista...or not.
BTW, Eh, I tend to see seniors (And not college seniors. The kind with gray hair and weak bladders.) with Gateways. Occationally highschool students.
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Re: News Bits: Windows Vista Released, Intel Centrino to have 802.11n, More Notebooks in U.S. Homes
I find this so very hard to believe, those stats are very whacky sounding IMHO. Since when has Gateway been "cool" among the college crowd? The brand is a pretty dead one, although I'm not on a college campus so I guess I wouldn't know either way. I have to disagree with you Andrew. It is really odd but I have seen about the same amount of Gateways as I do of Dells on my Campus. It is a little strange.
Tim
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Re: News Bits: Windows Vista Released, Intel Centrino to have 802.11n, More Notebooks in U.S. Homes
I agree that seems to be weird that such a high percentage of Apple's customer base is 55 and over. I guess I can see how they would like the "Apple store approach"--where there are techs readily available to talk and "explain" things.
The Gateway stat is also confusing. It's been a while since I thought of Gateway leading in any sort of way.
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Re: News Bits: Windows Vista Released, Intel Centrino to have 802.11n, More Notebooks in U.S. Homes
I have to disagree with you Andrew. It is really odd but I have seen about the same amount of Gateways as I do of Dells on my Campus. It is a little strange.
Tim I guess Gateways are sold in Best Buy and Circuit City for good prices so wouldn't surprise me too much. Just can't remember the last time I looked at a mainstream Gateway lappy and thought it would be something a college kid would buy.
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Re: News Bits: Windows Vista Released, Intel Centrino to have 802.11n, More Notebooks in U.S. Homes
Gateway, Dell and HP's, with a handful of Apple's tend to dominate my school.
Unusually so, I also see quite a few ASUS notebooks as well.
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Re: News Bits: Windows Vista Released, Intel Centrino to have 802.11n, More Notebooks in U.S. Homes
at my school, the bookstore only sells gateway and apples (they used to sell IBM, but no more).
in addition, from what i've seen.. the sheer majority of laptops here are Apple and HP, followed by Dell and Toshiba. gateway here and there, and so far, only 3 Asus including mines :P
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Re: News Bits: Windows Vista Released, Intel Centrino to have 802.11n, More Notebooks in U.S. Homes
Gateway, Dell and HP's, with a handful of Apple's tend to dominate my school.
Unusually so, I also see quite a few ASUS notebooks as well. If you think about it, Gateway has the most "industrial looking" notebook available. And Asus is a close second with thier chisled look, maybe that has something to do with it's popularity amongst the young, and price of course.